Tundra Quilts +

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Years ago, when eBay was relatively new, my sister bought this vintage table cloth with the idea it might be cool as the center of a quilt. Thanks for a great idea. It stewed in my head for a while, as quilts do sometimes, and I finally finished the binding this week. It was pieced with, I think, a Moda line of fabric and the backing might be something different, but it goes well. Does anyone else forget to keep track of the origins of the fabrics in their quilt? It also has some Kona solid fabric in white... I toyed with some color but it made the tablecloth look small and the whole quilt off-balance.

I started with the center and some flying geese blocks... then worked my way out from there.

Bev Palm is an amazing quilter and did a beautiful job, as usual, on the long-arm quilting. She works at Quilting in the Country which is a great stop if you are in Bozeman, Mt.

I pieced the binding with the scraps. Since the table cloth is vintage... and then it sat for a while... is a quilt vintage due to the age of its parts, or when it was finished? I did the piecing on it when I was in Montana getting chemo to kick cancer's but. It is nice to see it is sunny and happy, maybe a reflection of how the treatment would go. Charissa and Tim will love it. I love sending the finished quilts off and imaging making someone's day.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

The top of the quilt for Julie's daughter is done... There is something I really love about making a quilt without a plan. But then I guess that was my plan. The colors are joyful and I like the random mix of blocks dancing in the pink camo-like sashing.

Friday, February 8, 2013

People can be so clever. Check out this link to view Li Hongbo's incredible sculptures made of paper. I love how his inspiration came from toys... toys are so under-rated. Enjoy and go then go play. :)

Thursday, February 7, 2013

This quilt began with an obsession with the brown on white print that is the background. I love love love that fabric. I can't remember who designed it, but I remember it is interior design weight and was pricier than the rest of the fabric in the store... (Fairbanks, AK is where I found it).

Later I was home with my stash and this fabulous print... and trying to figure it out. I added the bubbly black print... then used the colors of the bubbles to build the rest. I like the quilt... but I expect quilt love when I'm done. I don't know how to describe that, but these are the quilts I want to cuddle in on the couch and the prints just make me happy. Then for the first time ever I had enough of a miscommunication with my fabulous longarm quilter... that the wrong fabric ended up on back. I'm actually fine with what was used... because the top is just... meh.

Dark, fall/winter, dreary, cluttered looking. I did not nail this by any stretch of the imagination. I even saw it as I was making it but still didn't manage to avert this quilt pileup and now it is a finished meh quilt. Sigh.

The wrong backing... but it kind of works.

Fine... but not what I had hoped.

It is nice... just not my happy palette that I would prefer to be around. Where are the happy days of Red Light Green Light quilts that Kate is wrapped in? Better luck next time.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Ugly quilts, we all make 'em. If your lucky you destroyed the evidence... for me they usually sit in my UFO pile. I think I made this when I hadn't slept enough and was looking at Kaffe Fassette's daring adventures in pattern that seem too much but just works likes a perfect balsamic vinegar electrifying the palette - but really too much vinegar is horrid and that is what this is. Too much. The only reason I'm saving it is I think if I chop it into smaller blocks and offset them with a solid block which might just save it... I really do like all these fabrics on their own but right now it is horrid.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

I got sidetracked from my quilting the other day and made a couple Quiltsmart Mondo Bags - one for my sister and one for myself. They go together rather quickly and look cool. Here is a link with a YouTube video showing them. The only thing I did that really wasn't following the directions that saved a lot of time was I didn't cut the two sides apart that are on the panels (two per Mondo Bag) until after I had finished sewing the them - just remember not to sew the line between the panels and you are good to go.

I have almost finished the blocks for Carris' quilt but ran out of a fabric and the quilt shops didn't have it so I am waiting for the mail. In the mean-time I started a quilt out of Quilts from the House of Tula Pink by Tula Pink of course. I am actually following directions, shocker, and making the quilt that is on the cover of the book. I have a good start, but just got to the white wedges part and will post about how that works - random is meeting random so I have my doubts.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

A lot has happened since I last posted... not surprising since it has been so long. I suddenly find myself with time to spare so quilts will dance and I will be posting more often than I have. Sadly the reason I have time is I am on leave from my job to spend some quality time kicking cancer's proverbial but. On the bright side I have way more time to quilt and my parent's home has room for me to sew in and that is a good thing.

I started Carys' quilt today, well earnestly started since I had sewn a few stitches in Anchorage. It is full of happy blues, greens, a dash of pink, a multicolored agate swatch and let me not forget a sprinkle of Peeps. Just when I started really getting going the needle on the machine broke and a bit fell in the machine's works and it hasn't worked since. :( Tomorrow it will have a nice visit with the sewing machine repair shop and all will be well. If only I were patient. Oh well, here is a sneak peek.

Happy fabrics... so many possibilities.

This could be the start of something interesting.

BTW, thanks Gayle for the fabric funds. A good day anyway, and mom's violets are a cheerful sight... they remind me of Grandma Grace and Aunt Olga, they had such a way with violets their thumbs were practically purple.